In a surprising move, the influential Tea Party group FreedomWorks has withdrawn its endorsement of former Nebraska state treasurer Shane Osborn and is now endorsing former Bush administration official and Midland College president Ben Sasse in the GOP Senate primary. According to a statement from Freedomworks president Matt Kibbe:
At this point, it is clear that Shane Osborn formed allegiances with Mitch McConnell and the K Street lobbying class. For us, that progression away from the grassroots has tipped the balance. FreedomWorks PAC has a responsibility to endorse the most reliable candidate for liberty, and after following the evolution of this primary, it’s clear that Ben Sasse is the man for the job.
In the March 24 edition of THE WEEKLY STANDARD, I wrote about how the national GOP was meddling in the Nebraska primary even though both candidates were perfectly acceptable to Republican voters. The National Republican Senatorial Committee appeared to be throwing their support behind Osborn due to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell’s feud with the Tea Party group Senate Conservatives Fund. The Senate Conservatives Fund had endorsed Sasse, as well as McConnell’s primary challenger.
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